Scraper elevator with radial arm cleaner



Aug. 25, 1970 L, FRENCH ET AL 3,525,167

SCRAPER ELEVATOR WITH RADIAL ARM CLEANER Filed April 8, 1968 'INVENTORS L. FRENCH 8| R. ROSSKLAUS United States Patent O 3,525,167 SCRAPER ELEVATOR WITH RADIAL ARM CLEANER John Lischer French and Ronald Paul Grossklaus, Moline,

Ill., assignors to Deere & Company, Moline Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 719,374 Int. Cl. B60p 1/36 U.S. Cl. 37-8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE For use with a flight-type elevator positioned on the forward end of an earth scraper how], a series of radially projecting arms on the upper transverse drive shaft of the elevator that project radially between the flights of the elevator for the purpose of dislodging material that may become wedged between the flights or may tend to be retained on the flights.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a scraper having a forwardly opening scraper bowl that permits earth or other materials to enter into the bowl. Still more particularly, this invention relates to a flight-type elevator positioned at the forward end of the bowl operating to aid in moving the earth or materials into the bowl. Still more particularly, this invention relates to a combination drive and cleaner mechanism positioned at the upper end of the elevator that includes radially projecting arms. The arms operate to clean material from the area between adjacent flights on the elevator.

It has heretofore been known to provide an upwardly inclined elevator at the forward end of a scraper bowl. The elevator is normally composed of transversely spaced chains having upper and lower runs and transverse flights extending between the chains that engage earth and other material moving over the bowl floor and move the material rearwardly in the bowl. The elevator is normally driven through drive sprockets at the upper end of the elevator. Such a structure is shown to be old in U.S. Pat. 3,048,933 which issued to Clarence T. Rasmussen and John H. Creighton on Aug. 14, 1962.

One of the problems that has existed in this type of elevator-type scraper is that often stones or other material will become wedged between adjacent flights on the elevator and do create damage to the flighting or other elevator parts as it moves upwardly and around the upper sprockets. Also, in many instances when digging wet or mucky ground, the ground becomes stuck to the flighting of the elevator and is carried around the upper end of the elevator rather than being deposited in the scraper bowl.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the above in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device at the upper end of the elevator that is rigid with the drive sprockets and the sprocket drive shaft and is utilized to clean the material out of the area between adjacent elevator flights. Specifically it is the object of the invention to provide radially extending arms that are fixed to the shaft extending between the drive sprockets. The arms are platelike structures that extend radially beyond the radial expanse of the flighting in respect to the shaft and which knock or dislodge material moving around the sprocket by the flighting.

Each of the elevator flights has an inner horizontal edge. The plates or arms fixed to the shaft have outer edges. The arms are so shaped that the outer portion of the 3,525,167 Patented Aug. 25, 1970 arms trail in respect to the direction of rotation of the shaft and sprockets so that the outer edges of the respective arms are closely adjacent the inner edges of the flights as the respective flights approach the upper sprockets. By having the outer portion of the arms or plates angled in a trailing direction, the outer edges of the plates will tend to retain a relatively close position to the respective flights and consequently scrape almost the entire surface of the flight as it continues around the drive sprockets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a tractor and a scraper which incorporates the features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective exploded view of the upper drive sprockets, shaft means, and trash removing arms as taken from the rear left side of the scraper.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along a fore-and-aft vertical plane of the upper portion of the elevator mechamsm.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing various of the elevator portions in a different position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The elevator mechanism herein to be described is of the type supported on the forward end of a scraper bowl 10 supported at its rear end on transport wheels 11 and at its forward end by a yoke structure 12 extending from the rear portion of a tractor 13. The drive for the elevator, indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 14, is of the type shown and described in U.S. Pat. 3,038,- 266 which issued to Messrs. Rasmussen and Creighton on June 12, 1962. The drive terminates in a rear drive means 15 that is basically a bevel gear drive.

The elevator includes a main elevator frame 16 inclined from a lower forward end upwardly and rearwardly to an upper end. Rigid with the elevator frame 16 are a pair of rearwardly projecting rigid arms, one of which is shown at 16, that are pivotally connected at 18 to the sides of the scraper bowl. The frame 16 includes a pair of transversely spaced inclined side members 19, 20 extending between the lower chain sprockets, not shown, and upper drive sprockets 21, 22. Carried on the sprockets is a pair of transversely spaced continuous chains 23, 24 having upper and lower inclined chain runs. The chains 23, 24 are interconnected by transversely extending flights 25 that have brackets 26 projecting in a trailing direction from the flights and shaped to form a link in the respective chains 23, 24. The flights 25 are substantially perpendicular to the upper and lower runs of the respective chains and have inner horizontal edges 27.

Shaft means are provided at the upper end of the elevator for driving the drive sprockets 21, 22 and includes a pair of end shafts or shaft extensions 30, 31 having journal surfaces 32, 33 adapted to be journaled on the upper ends of the respective frame sides 19, 20. The shaft extension 31 has an outer end adapted for insertion in the drive means or gear housing 15 to effect a driving relation between the gearing within the housing and the transverse shaft means. The shaft means also includes a central shaft 34 extending substantially the transverse expanse between the drive sprockets 21, 22. The sprockets 21, 22 have inner and outer radial faces, and the shaft extensions 30, 31 have radial flanges 35, 36 that lie adjacent the outer radial surfaces of the respective sprockets 21, 22. Fixed to the outer ends of the central shaft are radial flanges 37, 38 that lie adjacent to the inner surfaces of the sprockets 21, 22. The flanges 35, 36, 37 and 38 and the sprockets 21, 22 have transversely aligned openings that receive bolt and nut combinations 40 which fix the sprockets 21, 22, the end drive shafts 31, 32, and the central shaft 34 to one another so as to form a single shaft means.

A plurality of angularly spaced radially projecting arms 45 are fixed to the outer surface of the central shaft 34. The arms 45 are in the form of plates having their inner edges and opposite ends Welded at 47 to the outer surface of the central shaft 34 and the inner surfaces of flanges 37, 38, respectively. When assembled, therefore, the plates or arms 45 extend substantially the transverse expanse between the sprockets 21, 22 and their respective chains 23, 24. Each plate or arm 45 has an inner portion 46 with an inner edge welded to the shaft 34 and a continuing outer portion 48 inclined in a trailing direction in respect to the direction of rotation and terminating in an outer horizontal edge 49.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the elevator is driven so that the lower run of the chain moves upwardly and the upper run moves downwardly. Thus, the elevator is, in operation, an undershot-type of conveyor. Referring first to FIG. 3, it will be noted that as the flight 25 approaches the sprockets 21, 22 at the upper end of the elevator, the outer edge 49 of one of the arms 45 lies closely adjacent the edge 27 of the approaching flight 25. It will be in a leading position relative to the leading base of the flight 25. Referring now to FIG. 4 in which the sprocket is advanced approximately 15, it will be noted that the outer edge 49 has swept across the flight 25 moving under the sprockets while remaining closely adjacent the surface of the flight. Consequently, due to the shape of the arm 45, the outer edge 49 does in fact sweep material from the surface of the flight 25 as it moves under the respective sprockets 21, 22. As the flights continue around the sprockets 21, 22, the respective arms 45 project through the spacing between adjacent flights 25 and consequently material that would normally be wedged between adjacent flights will be forced out by the action of the arms 45. Therefore, should the elevator be used in mucky material, the arms 45 and particularly the edges 49 will operate to sweep material from the faces of the flights 25. When handling material that has large stones or rocks therein, the arms 45 will prevent the larger stones that have become wedged between adjacent flights to be carried over the upper end of the elevator.

We claim:

1. For use in a scraper having a forwardly opening bowl for collecting material, and an inclined elevator across the forward end of the bowl having a lower forward end and an upper rear end and composed in part of a pair of transversely spaced continuous chains having upper and lower runs and interjoined by transversely ex tending rigid flights and an inclined rigid frame, the improvement residing in the combination of driving and cleaning mechanism for said elevator comprising a pair of transversely spaced sprockets at the upper end of the elevator for driving the respective chains; a main transverse drive shaft means extending across the upper end of the elevator, said shaft means including a central shaft extending between the sprockets and having radial flanges at opposite ends engaging the inner faces of the respective sprockets, and a pair of end shafts axially aligned with the central shaft and having radial flanges engaging the outer faces of the sprockets, said end shafts projecting outwardly from the flanges and having journal surfaces for supporting the end shafts on the elevator frame; means fixing the flanges and sprockets; plates fixed to the central shaft means and extending substantially the full transverse expanse between the sprockets and projecting radially to extend between the flights as the flights pass around the sprockets; and drive means rotating the shaft means.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the plates have inner and outer adjoining portions with the outer portions trailing the inner portions in respect to the direction of rotation whereby the outer edges shall pass closely adjacent the advanced sides of the flights in their approach to the respective sprockets.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the plates project radially beyond the flight elements as they move around the sprockets.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the radially extending plates have opposite transversely spaced ends fixed to the flanges on the ends of the central shaft.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the plates have radial outer portions angled in a trailing direction in respect to the direction of travel from inner portions fixed to the central shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,550,365 9/1925 Jones 198-144 X 3,043,030 7/1962 Wisbey 371 X 3,210,868 10/1965 Liess 378 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner E. H. EICKHOLT, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 198-144, 229 

